The Ministry of National Defense revealed the special budget details Friday, outlining the funding of several American arms packages that were recently cleared by Washington. These U.S. arms include 82 High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS), 420 Army Tactical Missiles, 7,200 guided multiple launch rocket system missiles, 2,000 Anduril loitering munition drones and 2,500 anti-tank missiles.
Beyond the long-range American munitions, Taipei aims to expand a domestic drone program through the special defense budget. The briefing detailed a proposal to procure 200,000 unmanned aerial vehicles and 1,000 unmanned surface vessels (USV), a drastic increase from the 5,000 eyed in the 2025 national defense report. Taipei claims that drones ‘have become a key part of enhancing the ROC Armed Forces’ asymmetric capabilities in modern combat environments.’ The report also highlighted efforts to rapidly introduce USVs for maritime strike and counter unmanned applications against Chinese forces.
See also: Taiwan expected to deploy HIMARS on Penghu and Dongyin
“The military is expected to deploy US-made HIMARS rocket systems to the outlying islands of Penghu and Dongyin, significantly extending its long-range strike capability against PLA targets.”
“Paired with ATACMS tactical missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers, the systems would extend Taiwan’s strike envelope far beyond the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Potential targets include PLA naval ports, missile bases, and airfields in China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.”